When the IMO’s Marine Environment Protection Committee meets for its 84th session this week, attention will naturally focus on the next phase of negotiations for a global framework to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from ships.
At the centre of the agenda are discussions on how to implement the 2023 IMO Strategy on the Reduction of GHG Emissions from Ships. Debate remains intense around the shape of the draft Net‑Zero Framework, or even its continued survival, reflecting differences in political outlook and national priorities. geopolitics has come to the fore in this debate at the IMO.
The overall direction of travel is clear, to find consensus on global measures for confident long‑term investment decisions on fuel choices for shipping. These decisions will in turn influence investment in energy production and supply within global networks. The shipping industry does not exist in isolation – it is fundamental to global trade. Decisions on shipping decarbonisation will be part of wider investment decisions on the production and supply of future energy sources.
Ongoing discussions
In discussion at MEPC 84 will be proposals designed to reduce GHG fuel intensity, the treatment of zero‑ and near‑zero GHG fuels, and potential rewards or pricing mechanisms. For shipowners and operators, any future compliance will be determined by the type of energy used rather than operational efficiency. MEPC 84 may not resolve these issues but could help define what a future measure looks like.
Life‑cycle assessment is a crucial part of this picture and work continues to effectively measure emissions across the fuel value chain from extraction and production through to combustion onboard. Default emission factors, well‑to‑tank and tank‑to‑wake methodologies, sustainability criteria and chain‑of‑custody models all sound technical, but are fundamental to credible future regulation. High investment costs make reliable measurement and verification of fuel impact essential.
Increasing the energy efficiency of ships reduces GHG emissions and there are proposed changes to measurement and verification through the Carbon Intensity Indicator (CII). Further amendments to MARPOL Annex VI will regulate the use of multiple engine operational profiles and test cycles for marine diesel engines which may help to improve their efficiency, aligning Annex VI with recent updates to the NOx Technical Code.
These adjustments allow for improved engine optimisation and support more realistic representations of engine operation. New guidelines on co-optimising underwater radiated noise (URN) and energy efficiency will improve the efficiency of ships and reduce marine noise pollution.
Other discussions
The decarbonisation of shipping is also under consideration at other IMO meetings. To be a success, the energy transition must be a safe transition. Safety standards for alternative energy sources, energy storage devices, energy saving devices and emission abatement devices must all be in place and used by seafarers, underpinning safety and giving confidence to invest.
Alongside the GHG debate, MEPC 84 is expected to adopt a package of amendments to MARPOL Annex VI in a further incremental step towards reducing air pollution from ships. The designation of a new Emission Control Area is expected to be adopted, covering the North‑East Atlantic, including waters around Greenland, Iceland, the Faroe Islands, the west coast of the UK and Ireland, and extending south towards Spain and Portugal. If adopted, this would bring additional controls on nitrogen oxide (NOx), sulphur oxide (SOx) and particulate matter emissions in that area.
MEPC 84 isn’t just about emissions. Following several years’ work, a package of work on Ballast Water Management is due to be approved next week ahead of adoption at MEPC 85 in November 2026. New standards on the use of integrated bilgewater treatment systems are also likely to be approved. New protected sea areas are being considered, with work continuing on a review of MARPOL Annex IV to prevent pollution from sewage. A new proposal to address light pollution from shipping will be considered.
The future of shipping
Ships ordered today will trade for several decades. The current uncertainty on what the future global shipping GHG reduction looks like, makes this a material commercial risk, not an abstract policy concern. MEPC 84 is unlikely to give complete certainty, but it could offer a good indication of what a future regulation looks like.
If future regulation is not clear, then a regionally fragmented GHG framework may evolve that will create some substantive challenges for the industry.
For LR, it’s vital to connect regulatory ambition with safe and effective implementation. As alternative fuels and new technologies move towards wider uptake, environmental goals must be matched by robust standards, credible assurance and a strong safety framework. Regulation only delivers substantive change if it can be applied consistently across a global fleet.
MEPC 84 should therefore be seen as a staging post rather than an end point. The heavy lifting lies ahead. But the foundations under discussion now will shape the regulation shipping will operate under throughout the 2030s and beyond.
